Homework vs No Homework

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It wold be unfair if kids have homework and they do sports

How is it "unfair"? You're making choices. Maybe spend more time on logical reasoning skills, something is lacking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a policy matter, homework is just one more way for the rich to get richer. On this forum with a bunch of rich people, people are going to be pro homework. It totally disadvantages kids who don’t have someone home after school or in the early evening to help them. I don’t support homework generally.

This is pretty lazy thinking. If kids get older and there's no homework at all, parents will feel the school is pretty lazy and anyone with the means and wherewithal will do some kind of enrichment, ranging from workbooks to outside classes and tutors. It's only kids without the $ or parental capacity that will be left behind and maybe they could have at least some the homework provided by the school.

[Anonymous]

The big losers in a "no homework" scenario are the disadvantaged FARMS kids. Been there, suffered from that. Please do not be the rich person screwing the disadvantaged by lowering expectations and denying them the opportunities to practice at home.

The well off will still supplement. The disadvantaged parents cannot afford to supplement.

Homework should be assigned and corrected, but should not be a significant part of any grade. If the homework is given, then most disadvantaged kids will at least try to do it - and that by itself will reinforce the learning. If particular circumstances mean some are unable to do some hw, that is why it ought not be a significant part of the grade.

[Anonymous]

If you do choose to assign homework you should make it optional for extra credit, You should also get some feedback from your students before you decide what you're going to do.

[Anonymous]

I’m extremely anti homework. I don’t believe it helps anyone and shouldn’t be allowed before middle school.

[Anonymous]

I feel like homework should be optional. For kids who need the reinforcement at home, doing homework might be valuable. For kids like mine, who rapidly master material and are already bored by the time the classroom lesson is finished, homework is an utter waste of their time. They could be spending the time in an extracurricular, reading for fun, or playing. Heck, I would rather my kid rot their brain watching YouTube videos than do unnecessary homework. At least they'd be relaxing and enjoying themselves.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps by accident, this thread illustrates one of the ways teaching is harder now. Many parents absolutely want regular homework. Others do not want any. No matter what a school or teacher does, they will be criticized.

I have not been a super fan of vouchers, but maybe we do need them. Families who want homework attend school A and those who don't attend want homework school B.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The big losers in a "no homework" scenario are the disadvantaged FARMS kids. Been there, suffered from that. Please do not be the rich person screwing the disadvantaged by lowering expectations and denying them the opportunities to practice at home.

The well off will still supplement. The disadvantaged parents cannot afford to supplement.

Homework should be assigned and corrected, but should not be a significant part of any grade. If the homework is given, then most disadvantaged kids will at least try to do it - and that by itself will reinforce the learning. If particular circumstances mean some are unable to do some hw, that is why it ought not be a significant part of the grade.

I agree with all of this.

We have nightly HW Mon-Thurs that my child can do on their own. It’s 15-20 minutes and they’re learning time management and study skills, as well as reinforcing what they are learning at school.

There is occasionally a study hall in school for catching up on HW. HW is part of their grade so there is incentive to do it.

We also attended a no HW school, the pace of learning was much slower. I think giving HW the student can do on their own, and using it as a tool to see who needs additional support, is the ideal.

[Anonymous]

As a parent, I recommend you read up on current brain research to help inform your decision rather than pander to me by crowd sourcing anonymous opinions on a message board.

You are the professional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes - I would like my children to read books and not passages. If you assign them books to read and book reports as HW, I will be forever grateful.

Do teachers even do this anymore? My middle schoolers have never had to do this. The assigned book is always read in class, and my read, I mean it is played on audio and the kids sit there and listen. They don’t even read it aloud in class themselves! So disappointing

Yes!!! Same for my son’s middle school. I don’t get it. Schools have been dumbed down so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want them to have nightly homework. Everyone can make time for 20 min. It’s good to get in the habit of working on academics daily. If you and child can’t find 20 min for schoolwork per day, you should reprioritize what is going on.

I prioritize 20 minutes of playing outside, 20 minutes of practicing instruments, 20 minutes of board games or puzzles, and 2 hours of sports practice and 1 hour of reading each day, over homework. That is our 4 hours of time from 430 to 830 each evening.

[Anonymous]

We are happy with weekly homework. Our teacher assigns on Fridays, and it’s due by Wednesday so she has time to grade and return. The kids just take the bound workbook back and forth. As a parent we can fit it in when the schedule works best and I have the opportunity to see strengths and weaknesses to support and reinforce as needed.

[Anonymous]

I like HW that they can minimize / avoid by being diligent with their work the first time around (example having to correct or re-do at home things they missed at school). I also like HW that teaches the truth that a little bit done everyday is better than cramming at the last minute, so requirements to practice or study just a bit every day.

[Anonymous]

HW sucks. School has them for over 7 hours a day and that’s not enough time for all the worksheets!?!? They have to send some home?!??

[Anonymous]

Our second grader has four worksheets per week, two for reading/vocab, and two for math. All four are due on Friday which gives parents flexibility to work them into our evening schedules.

I like that she is getting some homework because it helps her to form good habits around studying which will become a fact of life as she progresses. She does two worksheets on Tuesday and two on Thursday. It takes her about 20 minutes each day. I send her to her room to do them independently. We don’t do her homework with her.